CSN Stores Give Away!!

Do you have any Modern Rugs in your home?Neither do i.... That's why you should leave a comment and enter to win a $45 Gift Certificate to CSN Stores telling me what you would pick if you were the lucky winner!! For another chance to win, be a blog follower, or comment you already are. For yet another chance to win, put up a link to this give away on your blog. USA only may enter. Contest begins 1/19/2011 and ends 2/2/2011. CSN Stores has a plethora of other wares including house hold items, baby, sports, outdoor to name a few. You will have no trouble finding something you want to buy :-) Thanks CSN Stores, Jamie, for your generosity to Yaak Adventures Readers!!

ICY ISOLATION

As the warm temperatures continued, rain pelted down for the next few days. The stubborn roads refused to melt away their thick, icy layers causing people all over the area to slide off the road. From the isolated place I'm in, somebody told me they'd heard of six alone going off on Friday but I am sure that there were a lot more than that. BlessedMom asked me on my last post how people could get to the hospital. Well, if an ambulance did make it down here, they certainly wouldn't get out without chains on in these conditions. Sometimes when the weather is good, and situation is bad, they call a helicopter.

Earlier in the week, Goat Girl totalled her car down in the city below. Elasta Woman went off on Friday. Saturday, My husband told me nobody was getting out for church. One of the neighbors tried earlier, and ended up hitting some trees so he returned home "to hunker down". He, and a few other men took some dirt out of a green house to throw on the first mile of steep road climbing out, though with 4 more miles of ice, it was only a start.

Sunday, I was beginning to feel trapped and took off on a trail through the woods for sanity if nothing else. The ice was so bad, there was no way I was going to try it for very far with Moonbeam in the back pack.
That night, I baked some lasagna and called the neighbor lady to see if she wanted to play scrabble. Just the short distance to her house on spikes was terrifying - carrying a container of lasagna with scrabble, Moonbeam and other assorted fixings. By the time I got there, I had a knot in my stomach with a terrible dread for going back on it in the dark.

On Monday, we had tried rescheduling our girls group and I didn't know if I should cancel it again. In the end, my husband had me take the chained truck down the first several miles of drive to meet up with Mist and ride with her. Super Catman begged to go along and even cried but I was too afraid to take him. I honestly didn't know if I could make it or not. I had this horrible, terrible imagination of going over a steep embankment with him shot gun. I passed 5 or 6 places where people had been dug out of the ditch. I even came upon a big fancy white 4wd truck slipped off and sunken into slush. I got out and almost fell, sliding over to it to see if anybody was in there.

When I finally made it to the mailbox, Mist was there. She could only drive 20-30 mph without sliding around. Her baby fussed and her dog nervously nudged his way up between us whining. I imagine it must have been nerve wracking for her. Despite all that, we really desperately needed a good day of encouragement and were terribly glad to see one another. Eerily, one lady called our group whose husband had headed to town and hadn't called. We all prayed for them. After hours of stories, devotions, a variety of muffins, breads, fruit and prayers, we said our good-byes and went back to meet the abominable ice monster in his lair.

The Sock Fashion Expert was waiting at home for a verdict. That night was home school movie night in a nearby city and some of her friends from camp were going to be there. She had been feeling just as stir crazy as I was and wanted in the worst way to go. I dreaded going home to tell her how terrible the roads were. I didn't want to be responsible for us getting into an accident, but I also couldn't imagine how disappointed she'd be stuck at home yet another day.
In the end, after the whole family prayed together, SFE, Archer, Super Catman and I set out with chains on the Tundra. The Archer, who never wants to go to the city, INSISTED on driving us. He drove 12 mph the entire time we were on ice. I thought I was going to go bananas, but incredibly relieved I wasn't doing the driving. I settled in with a Patrick McMannus book and relaxed. After a 2 1/2 hour drive of what normally takes an hour or a little better, we were in the city.

It was late, but we managed to run some errands and scarf down pizza before the movie began. Sock Fashion Expert wasn't long with us as she disappeared into a group of giggly girls. I chummed up with a new friend myself, which was so much fun to do and we settled in to watch "Voyage of the Dawn Treader". It was an awesome movie, and I couldn't have imagined spending the money on a better film. The actors, especially Eustace, were amazing. The adventure was thrilling. Great company, Happy Kids, and a Fabulous Film - what more could I have asked for?

The drive home was uneventful, though it was between midnight and 1am before we were hiking up our hill in the dark. At the mailbox, Archer had put the tire chains on in the damp, cold darkness with the Sock Fashion Expert assisting him. What a crazy way to have to live. On the way back, Archer could see new marks of people who had gone off the road....................

STRANDED!!

Snuggling Kisses
My First Attempt at Crepes.

Art Dog Making Pretzels

Its been a pretty non-eventful weekend with the exception of us being stranded!! Really, its not all that bad. We stocked up as if preparing for "the big one" and settled in right before the horrible terrible sub zero temps set in. Then, suddenly, as if manic, the weather decided to snow like crazy followed by extremely warm temperatures. It all ended up in causing the road out to have a thick layer of smooth ice with a thin layer of water on top. The results - treacherous for driving, or walking on. Even my ice spikes seem to slide around on it, curtailing my running for the time being.
Yesterday was really when it all became evident. I'd gotten up before dawn to make some Martha Steward Crepes for our girls group. Actually, I'd started the batter the night before and then restarted it after spilling it all over the place. Exhausted, I'd drug myself out of bed, remembering I'd promised my friends the French dainties. After an hour or so, beautiful, paper thin crepes were rolled up with Nutella and Bananas and ready to be savored. Each of the kids woke up to them, and all had a different reaction to my new French recipe. Just when Miss Moona was dressed and ready to go, and bags were packed, I got the call. One of the husbands had been out on the road and turned around to tell her not to go. He said his vehicle was sliding sideways just trying to drive slowly. With that information, my husband didn't want me going out either, so we cancelled.
It was disappointing, since we haven't met for a long time, but better safe than sorry. Armed with determination, I packed up little bunches of crepes into tin foil and stuffed them into my back pack. After a quick devotions with the kids, and seeing them to their school, I donned some ice spikes and descended onto the treacherous road. I was glad I'd brought my ski poles to help me navigate as well.
I hiked all over delivering little foil packs of crepes to the neighbors. Most of them, being stranded as well, welcomed the crepes and the company. By the time my back pack was empty, it had been refilled with a couple of large jars of jelly I'd been gifted with and my heavy coat, as I had worked up quite a sweat! Surprisingly, I felt happy all day about the whole incident, and how well the improvising worked out.
Today, my husband told me he didn't think we would be getting out for church tomorrow. I'm wondering how long this temporary maroon is going to last. I guess I can't complain. At least the forest trails are somewhat navigable. Maybe tomorrow I'll try a longer hike. The temperature outside feels so good, almost like spring, but its just too icy everywhere to enjoy it much. The beastly ice drove me into the house and forced me a slave in the kitchen where I have been constructing bad (but good) feasts. Last night it was orange chicken, peas and twice baked potatoes with fizzy orange drinks. I'd never made twice baked potatoes before, so I demanded everybody sit at the table and act civilized as if we were dining on Chateaubriand or something. For lunch I made spaghetti with home made sauce and a gourmet salad. Art Dog made soft, chewy pretzels. Sock Fashion Expert has been pouring over all kinds of recipes. I fear this beastly ice may be in cahoots with Miss Belly Fat.

Marv-A-Carv

AHHHHhhhh ohhhhh ahhhhh......... Oh, excuse me, I was just thinking about what a FABULOUS 5* Family Day this turned into :-)

After a long, busy night shift with abominable driving conditions, I came home to my husband who drove me up the drive way and had prepared a breakfast in bed to enjoy with me.

After a nice long nap, I got up to go snowboarding with the Fam, well all the boys anyway. Fun fun fun!! Even my husband came along while SFE watched Miss Moona. The weather was warm, and the same snow that angrily crafted such treacherous driving conditions, lovingly frosted the hillside making heavy wet marshmallow fluff to play in. It was so wonderful watching those boys (including my husband) do their crazy stunts while flying down the hill, all smiles, on their boards.

Though most of the pictures were blurred, I had fun taking them anyway. Each time I headed down, I biffed it!! I was really starting to wonder if i'd lost my feel for the elusive and hard earned carving rhythm, but I never quit trying.

Though I thought everybody would rush up the hill as fast as they could to go down again, they all seemed to already know that half the fun was seeing each other "go big" as they flew down the blustery hillside.

The Archer and My Man even tried navigating up and off of trees stumps!!! All the men of my family were hotter than snot out there ;-) It was crazy fun!!

After darkness had fully made her unwelcome appearance, we hiked out to the desolate road. My husband had the idea of trying to carve our way down the bowl part of the drive and I followed after him eagerly, never wanting the crazy fun to end. That's when it happened..... after several tough biffs in the dark, with a truck full of boys patiently waiting far below the basin, carving finally pulled her rhythm out of me once again. Probably because I wan't so hindered by the heavy snows. Oh it was rough and ungraceful, but it was still there within me after lying dormant all these long years. When I got to the bottom, the guys were patiently waiting all smiles and my husband pushed me board and all over to the oncoming truck teasing me about all my wooting...............
At home the smell of bacon welcomed us and we were to ravenously discover that our Beloved Sock Fashion Expert was waiting to make us personalized omelettes with all the fixings. There was also plenty of hot cocoa and her home made crescent rolls as well. She also had wisely turned up the hot tub. Gotta love that girl.............

The Fearsome Food Officers and The Pool Pooper

Sweet Girl with A New Hair Cut By Day,

Fearsome Food Officer By Night

I would not call our trip to the big city "uneventful" at all, by any means. It started out packed into the Suburban sitting at the mail box for an hour and a half waiting for the mail. After reading an old Martha Stewart, I couldn't take it any more and escaped outside wondering how far I'd get walking. It was a beautiful day and the sun shone over the snowy woods setting it ablaze with crystal gems. After about a mile, my family caught up with me and we were off to town. The day was half over and it was a good thing we'd rented a motel room, or we might never get half the things done we'd needed to.
It felt like we would never get there, but when we finally did, the chicks of the family voted to be dropped off at the mall. Hoping for some good "After Christmas Sales", we set our sights on the "clearance" signs. Boy were we disappointed to find that through out the city most of the clearance sales were 30% off. Rack after rack, store after store, it was just all the same. Maybe I'm just getting old, but it seems like a body could shop clearance racks and find stuff for $5 or $10 back in the day. The new $5 clearance sale is $20. I shook my head and said to a lady standing next to me "clearance sales just aren't what they used to be". She started laughing. Come to think of it, I think old people say stuff like that too. Oh dear, now I might start obsessing about being old so I'd better stop this train of thought.
Anyway, we eventually ate and made our way to the motel. I wrote all about the perils of motel rooms with a large family last year, so I will also withhold that conversation as well, and save you the agony. Sufficient to say, it was not much out of the ordinary other than the fact that I have become a "pool pooper". No, don't worry. I didn't poop in the pool. I just don't enjoy them like I used to. The first time I looked out at that big crowd of people, the idea of sharing water with all of them kind of grossed me out. Gingerly, and bravely for Super Catman's sake, I hung out there and snapped some shots of he and Miss Moona. There I was taking pictures of them sitting at the edge of the pool when Miss Moona decides to PLUNGE IN!! Shocked, I reached down and grabbed her by the hair, then the arm. Pulling her out, I felt nauseated. "How could have she jumped in and gone under right in front of me?!?" She didn't even whimper and was no worse for the wear, but I suddenly felt very exhausted and frazzled. We went over to the hot tub to warm up. A large burly Scandinavian speaking man smiled from across the tub stretching himself out proudly. Soon he was joined by another and then another. Then some Scandinavian boys joined in. Soon the hot tub was full of big burly men and boys speaking in some unknown dialect glancing over at me and Miss Moona every so often. Nervously, I looked up at the ceiling and asked Miss Moona if she would like to go back to see Daddy. "No!!" she yelled loudly "Hot UB!!" When we finally did leave the pool, it was none too soon. That next morning I took The Super Hero only. I glanced in at the pool and kept seeing random pieces of hair floating around. Some of them long, some of them short. Some were black, some were blond. Some were probably even Scandinavian. Something pink and round looking floated around on the other end. I almost didn't get in because it was just so gross, but I knew I'd feel better if I did. Upon swimming across, I discovered the floating object was a rather large pink gum ball. Despite all the unpleasnatries of the pool, I did indeed, feel better after several swims up and down the length. By the time I got to the hot tub, a Canadian Gentleman had taken up residence there. Since I spoke his native tongue, he tried to engage in several conversations all the while bossing Super Catman. Finally I'd had enough and decided that I had to be an all time party pooper of the pool.
That morning we woke up and went to church and the service was really good. Still, the clearance racks seemed to have something against me and snubbed me at every turn. I was feeling a little bit crest fallen by the time I'd reached Costco. How would I ever find Christmas presents for the rest of the family? Maybe here, I could find some stuff. We'd come across some funds for stocking up on groceries and that's just what we did. I started the store rather methodically by first hitting every sample stand. Food Officer Numeral Uno closely accompanied me, almost stepping on the back of my heels. She had made me promise not to buy any ice cream or frozen pizza while in the store and watched closely to enforce this command. I tried to distract her into looking for late Christmas presents, as I still hadn't bought any for our extended family, but she refused to budge. Now Super Catman, he would have gladly allowed any stocking up of junk food, but with the food police on the job, he didn't dare ask. I tried another distraction telling her to buy stuff to make cookies. She shot me a wary eye, but refused to be deterred. That's when I played the old "change the diaper trick". As if by cue, Miss Moonbeam told me "poo poo" and I whisked her off to the bathroom all the while chuckling gleefully. Now I would be free of her tyrannical grips!! Hurriedly, I began stuffing some grandparent type snacks into the cart. Suddenly the sky darkened and creepy music started playing from the electronics section...... uh maybe it was just a shoppers cell phone. Food Officer number one ominously appeared. She inspected my cart thoroughly. She shook her head disapprovingly at the Brussels sprouts, but allowed them since they were healthy. Miffed that I'd been evading her, she pretended not to have an opinion about the next couple of aisles.
Just when I thought stocking up was going to be easy, Food Cop number two and his force showed up. Soon the entire gang were adding opinions and food to the cart. My mind began reeling. I lost track of the money count. Kids were headed in every direction. I took some deep breaths not wanting to freak. Somebody wanted a 25 lb bag of salt. I could see 25 lbs of salt clumping up in the bag after laying on a wet mopped floor and turning the bag moldy. Visions of disastrous food over load began assaulting my brain. Moonbeam had yogurt smeared all over her face from her third yogurt sample. Somebody else wanted another giant bag of white rice. "Flour, powdered sugar, brown sugar" I have lost my ability to think. How would I ever maintain reason? Time stopped. The food police and my family began spinning around! At first I thought to send them all away complaining bitterly that I couldn't take all the over stimulation and confusion. Then I remembered that this was supposed to be fun and that we've all done without for a very long time. Everybody wanted to have an opinion and THIS SHOULD be fun for everybody. Thankfully my husband is better at math than me, so he kept track of the bags being added to the cart. Once Food Officer number 2 had secured 2 large bags of rice, the 25 lbs of salt, and 2 giant boxes of "Honey Nut Cheerios", he was content to police junk food from being added to the cart, which, I might add, he did quite well. Consequently, this is how he earned his title.
All in all, with my two eldest children around, we purchased 2 heaping carts of groceries and didn't buy any junk food at all. Now that is amazing. Despite my strong convictions to feed the kids healthy, when I go places like that, I want pizzas, burritos, prepared meals, and I would cave in and buy them too. I don't dare try putting that stuff in the cart with these kids around. People gawked at us as we pushed the two overloaded Costco shopping carts out to the trailer behind the Suburban. As "the men" loaded the trailer, Food Officer One peeled an orange for the baby. I made sandwiches from our newly acquired bounty.

Kestrel's Midnight Song Book Review

A few years ago, I was visiting with another home school mom, sitting at her table while our kids were playing together. I hadn't seen her eldest son at all that day. "He's working on a novel" she told me. A hushed awe fell over the kitchen. There are home schooling moms, and then there are home schooling moms!! She would forever live on to be one of those kind of home schooling moms that other moms could look up to!! Truly, all of her children are amazing. Looking into their eyes is like looking into deep pools of water and I can see that some day each one of them will change the world some how, that's just the kind of kids they are. Inspiring, then, even more amazing when she gave me his autographed, published copy for Christmas this year!! SELAH.....
Before I could crack the cover, The Sock Fashion Expert was devouring it and she gave it a 5 star review. She said it reminded her of Patricia St. John, who we love. When I finally pried the book away from her begrudgingly, I couldn't put it down either, and hid it when I wasn't near by for fear somebody else would start reading it - lol!! It was awesome and I have to agree one of the best novels published today that's out there. Its ASTOUNDING that JR Parker started writing it at age 15. He has a command of words that few can compare to, and depth to match. I was laughing and crying and not wanting to do much but find out what was going to happen next. Here's what I wrote for a review on Amazon :

Masterfully Written, A Tale You Can Sink Your Teeth Into!!
YOU WON'T REGRET BUYING THIS BOOK!! Its a fabulous tale that will keep you wrapped up in it until the very end. I hope he writes a sequel. The characters are compelling, the creatures are marvelous and the story has depth and truth interwoven through out it. JR Parker is sure to be one of tomorrows greatly celebrated literary icons.

You can order his book here on Amazon. Happy Reading!!

Voracious, Virtuous Vernacular

Days and Nights melt together into some kind of colorful conglomeration and rush along, a little bit like this river. Heavy loads of school books from several subjects and grades come along to work with me to correct and to assign. I come home in a zombie like state with bags of groceries and a crate of books ready to begin yet another week. I don't know if its virtuous or voracious but it has become my vernacular these days. I stopped on my way home early Sunday Morning and took these pics. I thought it might bring some clarity to the conglomeration and it did. It is good to be alive, ambulatory and awake.

The boys have been out and about "shredding snow" and carving like fiends down lonely, frosty hill sides. They begged "oh please please come with us" and I couldn't say "no". What boys age 19, 13 and 8 want their mom along with them?! Not many these days. Though I had just come in from running my first couple of miles in the past couple of months and I was soaked in sweat, I threw caution to the wind and tagged along. The hill side was so so beautiful it almost took my breath away. Watching the three zip down the hill side full of life and energy was a splendor all in its own. It didn't matter that the climb up each time was painstaking, nor that I had pushed past my limits before I'd ever reached the top of the hill the first time, gliding down on my snowboard was like being in my 20's again. "I must do that more often" I promised myself. Carving down and even falling leaf down the side of a hill is like poetry in motion, truly an art form.

I'm really excited about our possible excursion to the big city this coming weekend. I desperately need to do some shopping. I suspect the Sock Fashion Expert may feel as desperate to shop as i do. Should we make the journey, there is sure to be tales of adventure to follow..........